The Darkness Within
by loveintheimpala
Summary: After the departure of his father and brother, Dean hunts alone, up until the day he sees his sister on the news for three counts of murder. Wasting no time he shows up in town and finds her locked down on a mental ward with no escape route. But did she really kill anyone? And, if not, then what did? He's only sure about one thing, something is wrong with his sister.
1. You're Never Alone

**_Welcome to my new fanfiction! :D_**

_So, the idea for this was pitched to me entirely by Winchestergirl67 in great detail, so I have her to thank for the idea and plot behind it. I'm super excited about it because I absolutely love the plan for it! I think it should be about seven or eight chapters, somewhere around there. There is such a good twist at the end that I've already written I was that excited about it! ;-) _

_It is set while Sam is at Stanford, Dean is 25 and Lacey is 21 (the same age as Sam). _

_Lacey is my character from Save Me From Myself. It's not tied in with that in anyway so you don't need to have read it, (and if you have then this would just be something that happened a few years before that). I've used her simply because I already know the character and I suck on thinking up new names that haven't already been used in a sisfic somewhere on here ;-) _

_I hope you enjoy the first chapter, which is really just an opener, and thank you for reading!_

* * *

**The Darkness Within**

**Chapter One: You're Never Alone**

_Hollymore Psychiatric Hospital — Portland, Indiana — 10:21 am. _

There had always been something about psychiatric hospitals that gave Dean Winchester the creeps. He wasn't quite sure what it was, he had never been able to put his finger on it, but he knew that it was something. Maybe it was the fact that everything was just so white that made him feel uneasy, or maybe the fact that it reminded him of a medical hospital. Perhaps it was the thought that pretty much everyone he had ever met probably assumed that he were a suitable candidate to be admitted to one, or maybe just the fact that he had watched too many movies about haunted crazy houses. He didn't know, but he had never liked them. And, being honest, he would never willingly step into one, not unless he really needed to.

With a heavy sigh, Dean walked through the double glass doors at the front of the building and strode casually towards the reception desk. He cleared his throat to gain the attention of the two nurses sitting behind it, both too preoccupied with the paperwork in front of them to have even noticed that he was standing there. Jumping a little in surprise, one of them seemed to realise that she was being watched and looked up to face him. "Good morning," The woman closest to him spoke, offering a smile. She removed the glasses from her face and set them down on the desk. "How can I help you?"

"Hey, I'm, uh, Agent Smith, FBI." he said simply, holding up his fake badge as he introduced himself. "I'm looking to speak with one of your patients, Lacey Winchester."

The two nurses looked between each other, and the older one gave a short nod to her colleague. "Follow me, agent." she said sweetly as she rose to her feet and made her way around the desk to him, a large smile on her face. She briskly led the way down a quiet and empty hallway, the sound of silence seemed to echo off the walls and consume them, enough to bring back the feeling of uncomfortableness he had been trying to repress. "Can I ask what this is about?" The woman asked him, her tone remaining upbeat.

Dean thought over her question and cleared his throat. He wasn't sure whether it was more out of curiosity than the fact that she actually needed to know. Either way, he didn't feel much like explaining the truth to her. "It's, uh, government business, ma'am." he replied flatly. "I'm not at liberty to disclose, I'm afraid."

"Hm." She glanced back at him and forced up a tight smile. "It's just, no one has been to see her yet, other than the police, of course. Other than what they've told us, we don't know much about her. She doesn't seem willing to say. A little information on her might be helpful to her treatment."

He knew that he didn't need to ask, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "What _does _she say?"

"Not much, she's quiet. A little sarcastic, perhaps." Dean found himself smiling a little at that. "I think she likes to make jokes rather than talk about things. She still hasn't spoken about what happened before she came here, all she ever says is that she didn't do it."

Dean let his face fall straight again as the woman came to a stop outside of a door labeled 'Winchester', and turned to look at him. "This is her." she told him simply as she unlocked the door. "Just knock when you want to leave. She isn't known for violence, but if anything gets out of hand there's a buzzer you can press just beside the door and you'll have backup right away."

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Dean said, almost as if to tell her he knew better.

"Right," she nodded slowly. "Well, I'll wait here for you."

Dean pushed up another smile and gave a short nod. "Thank you." he replied, grateful that she wasn't about to follow him inside. He really needed to go in there alone.

Without another word she pushed open the door for him and took a step back, leaving him to enter himself. He stepped inside and a smile immediately formed on his face at the sight of the girl sitting on the bed. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a scruffy bun, her face and skin appearing tanned in contrast to the white of her t-shirt and pants. She sat cross-legged on the bed, focused completely on the book in her hands, and didn't even bother to look up until the door closed behind him. Slowly, almost apprehensive, her green eyes traveled from the pages in her lap to the shiny black shoes ahead. He saw the dread in her face at the sight before her eyes rose to find his face, and a grin broke out on her lips as she saw him.

Dean took a step closer as she all but leaped from the bed and ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He brought up his arms and hugged her back just as tightly, holding her close. It was there, when he was finally with her again, that he truly realised how much he had missed her.

"Hey, stranger." he said, his smile coming through in his words.

Lacey pulled back enough to look at him and the grin never faltered from her face. "Hey." she beamed up at him.

Dean couldn't hold back his own grin as he pulled her towards him again, wrapping his arms around her even tighter. She buried her face in his chest, her hands gripping the back of his jacket as though she were afraid to let him go again. "It's been a long time, sis." he commented, and he felt her nod in agreement.

"Way too long." she said to him before she took a step back and looked him up and down slowly. "Wow. Check you in a suit." she quipped.

Dean huffed a laugh and adjusted his tie slightly. "Yeah, I'm almost jealous of that all white thing you got going on there." he countered, his tone playful. They simultaneously moved to sit down on the bed and his eyes scanned her carefully, looking for any changes. She had grown up so much in the two years that she had been gone. "What happened to you, El?" he asked, his eyes lingering on the hospital band around her left wrist, but he didn't miss her smile at the use of her familiar nickname.

"Well, you must know what happened if you're here. I mean, you read the news stories, right?" Dean nodded but said nothing. "That's pretty much it. You know, three people got killed and I got the blame." She shrugged, like she didn't know what else she could say about it. "They're all pretty convinced that I had something to do with it."

"But you didn't, right?" He didn't want to have to ask, but he knew he needed to. "I mean, if this was a hunt or something, if you killed them for a reason—"

"No," She shook her head firmly. "I'd tell you, Dean. I swear to you, I didn't kill anyone."

"No, no, I know. I believe you." He looked at her as though she were insane for thinking she had to convince him of anything different. If she said she hadn't done it, as far as he were concerned, she was innocent. "Of course I believe you." Because once she had said something, Dean trusted her word. He didn't ever ask for proof, he didn't need convincing, he never had done. He trusted her with everything he had.

"But, the thing is," she went on, anxious. "They've got a pretty strong case against me, and," She paused for a moment. "I don't think I'm gonna get off with it, Dean. Not this time."

Dean could see the worry in her eyes, she thought she were headed for prison. "Well, that's why I'm here." he said, giving her knee a small squeeze of reassurance. "Have you got an alibi?" he asked, but she said nothing, just looked away. "What is it?"

"I can't remember where I was, Dean." she mumbled, as though she thought that comment would sink her. "It's like I just can't think what I was doing at the times, no matter what."

Dean didn't see anything wrong with that. He barely remembered what he had done the week before, either. "And that's what you told the cops? That you couldn't remember?" Lacey nodded. She hadn't known what to do at the time, whether to go with her gut and lie, make herself an alibi, or tell the truth. She hadn't done anything wrong, so she didn't see why she needed to lie. "Alright," Dean sighed. "Well, do you need an alibi? 'Cause, if you want, I can—"

"No." She stopped him before he could even offer. She knew what he was about to suggest and it wasn't happening. "No, I'm not getting you involved in this."

Dean fought the urge to roll his eyes at her, knowing that she should've known he didn't mind lying to the cops for her. It wasn't like he had never done it before. "We'll figure something out, kid, alright?" He smiled at her. "I promise."

Lacey nodded, although she didn't look too convinced by his words. "Thanks, Dean." she muttered.

The two of them sat there in silence for a couple of minutes, just thinking. It wasn't like either of them were stupid, they both knew it wasn't going to be an easy task to get her off with it. She was in trouble, deep trouble. But Dean was willing to face it with her, no question. He wouldn't let his sister go down for something she hadn't done. He couldn't.

"Must be rough," he commented, breaking the silence, and she looked up to him, curious. "Knowing you're up for murder."

Lacey shook her head slowly. "It's fine." she muttered, glum. "I'm fine."

He wasn't sure whether or not he believed her. But then, Lacey had always been fine. No matter what happened to her, she was always just fine. She was strong, a lot stronger than their dad had ever given her credit for. Sometimes, Dean found it surprising how much she could take without ever batting an eyelid at it. She didn't quit.

"You still hunting with dad?" she asked him, clearly in an attempt to change the subject.

"Nah." Dean shook his head. "I was. He left on a hunt about three weeks ago with Caleb, said he'd be gone for a couple of months, I don't know." He shrugged, nonchalant. "So it's just me until he gets back."

She looked down at her lap, and he could tell that she was unsure about her next question. "What about Sam?" she asked, her voice small. "Have you...you know...spoken to him?"

Dean just shook his head again. "Nope, not in three years." he replied, a little bitterly. "You?"

"No," Lacey answered quietly. "Not since he left."

It had been three years since either of them had seen their brother, and they'd both be lying if they said they didn't miss him. The night he had left for Stanford had been the last time they had spoken to him. Lacey had tried calling at first, but he never picked up, and a part of her knew that was just down to his fury at their father. But, after that, she had given up. There was a heavy silence between them, both of them lost in their own thoughts of their brother for a moment. Lacey brought up her knees to her chest and sighed, folding her arms loosely over her knees.

"You need to paint your nails, Lacey." Dean suddenly said. "Jeez."

Lacey frowned at him, a little confused, and followed his gaze down to the cracked red polish on her toes, already half gone. She huffed a laugh and nodded to herself. "Thanks, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes, giving a small shrug. "I'm just sayin'." he smirked. "How bad is it in here?" he asked, looking around her small room slowly. There was just one bed, positioned against the wall and facing the door. There was a small table and chair beside it but that was it. Other than that, it was just whiteness. Blank, empty and lonely.

"It's not too bad." she said lightly. "I mean, we've stayed in worse motel rooms. Least this place has hot water."

"Hm." Dean gave a dry laugh. "You know, I was half expecting you not to be here. Thought you might have taken a shot at escape by now."

Lacey laughed at that. "Yeah, I thought about it, but," she shrugged. "I didn't really have anywhere to escape to. I mean, I couldn't really go back to campus, could I? And it wasn't like I could stay anywhere long in this town before the cops caught up with me. Last thing I need right now is my face showing up on the news saying I'm wanted for murder. I mean, who'd date me then?" she added lightly, her tone joking, but he could hear the clear worry over the whole situation.

"No one, if they wanna keep their kneecaps." Dean remarked, shooting her a playful smirk. "Staying probably was the best thing to do, though. I see college hasn't turned you into a _complete_ moron." he quipped, and he noticed her look down at the mention of it. "How is college going, anyway? You getting anywhere with it?"

It had been a long time since they had spoken about college. There had been a time that they had discussed it on the phone, when Lacey would moan about how much work she had to do, or she would tell him about how someone had pissed her off there, she'd complain about the assignments or tell him that she missed hunting, but lately she hadn't even seemed interested enough to whine about it. Every time he tried to steer the conversation in that direction she would change it, she just refused to talk about it.

"Well," She thought for a moment, giving a shrug. "I'm about five month behind on my work, getting absolutely nowhere, and the only reason I'm still affording to stay there is working in a bar where I spend most of my night being eye-groped by sleezy, middle-aged bikers." Dean's face went hard at that comment, but she didn't notice. "So, you know, same old."

A small smile found its way to his face as he listened to her. "I see you haven't changed." he stated. There was a hint of fondness in his words that almost coaxed her into smiling back. But, lately, even the thought of college made it hard for her to smile.

"I don't wanna be here, Dean." she admitted quietly. "I don't wanna be in college, I don't wanna work in that bar, I don't wanna be in this stupid town anymore. I wanna be with you."

Dean looked down, because it wasn't a conversation he ever enjoyed having with her. If it were up to him she wouldn't have ever been away from them. But it hadn't been his choice to make. "Lace, you know dad—"

"It's not what I want. I hate it here, Dean." she sighed. "I just, I miss you. I don't understand why he won't listen to me."

Dean gave a soft sigh, nodding. "I miss you, too, El. And you know that there is _nothing_ I want more than to have you back with us, but you know what he's like. He sent you to school for a reason. It's only a couple more years, alright? You can stick it out."

"That's not true and you know it, Dean." she muttered. "I'm looking at going down for life on a murder charge here. I can't stay here anymore, _please_. I need your help."

Dean looked down at his knees and sighed, defeated. He knew she was right. "Yeah," he nodded. "That's why I'm here, kid. I'm gonna get you out of here. And then we can get your name cleared and—" He stopped and looked up to her, his eyes finding hers. He couldn't leave her again, it had been bad enough the last time. With Sam, he had learned to accept it, because Sam had _wanted_ to leave. With her, it was different. She wasn't happy where she was. But their Dad had taken a whole year to think over what Sam had said to him the night he had walked out, and he'd figured he would give it another chance, he had sent her to college, too. She was gone almost as soon as he had pitched her the idea. And that had been two years ago. "And we'll go from there, okay?" he finished, and she gave a small nod. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cellphone, handing it to her. "Be ready by midnight, I'll tell you when I'll be here, alright? But we've gotta move quick. The second I'm in here we've gotta run and get the hell out of here before someone catches us and we _both_ go to prison."

Lacey nodded, and Dean didn't miss the relief and gratitude in her eyes. "Yeah, course." she said, standing up with him. He gave her another tight hug before he pulled back and smiled, turning to the door. "Hey, Dean?" she stopped him.

He paused, hand on the door knob, and turned back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming." she said, her voice sincere. "I mean it."

Dean nodded. "I'll see you tonight, Lacey." he smirked.

"Yeah," she grinned. "See you tonight."

* * *

_So that was just an introduction really. There is loads more to come yet! I don't want to give too much away about the story just yet, so I'm skipping over the chapter preview ;-) _

_Also, since I was asked about it earlier, 'El' is like 'L', for Lacey, since someone else didn't get it I thought I'd just make a note of it. _

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave a review, I'll update soon! Have a great week! :) _


	2. Break Out

_Thank you so much to everyone for your reviews on the last chapter, and to those of you who have favourited and followed it! Your support means so much to me. :) _

_I know I've been gone for absolutely forever but I'm making a dramatic comeback;-) __I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

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**The Darkness Within**

**Chapter Two: Break Out**

_Hollymore Psychiatric Hospital — Portland, Indiana — 1__1:45 pm. _

The sound of a loud vibrating is what pulled Lacey from her light sleep. It was hard to fall into a deep sleep somewhere like that, she hadn't yet managed it. It was as though she was always on edge, even during the night, always ready for something to happen. She stirred and rolled over onto her back, momentarily confused by the strange sound, but she quickly realised what it was, and it hit her like a slap in the face. She shot up in bed and felt around under her pillows for the phone that Dean had given to her earlier that day. She flipped it open and turned off the alarm, narrowing her eyes at the brightness of the screen. Giving a short sigh, she pushed herself to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled a hand down her face, rubbing her tired eyes. At first she had been sceptical of his plan, but now she just couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

Having Dean walk through the door of her room that morning had been the last thing she had ever expected to happen. She was still in shock. She had thought that maybe she was really screwed here, because, no matter what she had been taught by her father about dealing with the law, she hadn't been able to see a way out of her situation, at all. And she'd had all the time in the world to think about it. She had, at one point, contemplated calling him and asking for help, but she had decided against it. Their dad didn't want her and Dean together, he had made that more than clear the last time she had seen him, and he no longer wanted his only daughter anywhere near the hunting life, he had made that even clearer. And, unfortunately for her, that life included Dean. In his eyes, Dean visiting her would only lure the dark creatures they hunted towards her, and that was something that he just wouldn't risk, hence, she hadn't seen him in two years until that day.

But Lacey wasn't like Sam. She never had been. She didn't want the normal life and the normal job and the normal family. Lacey wanted to hunt. She had been more than happy with what she'd had. And she loved her dad, of course she did, but sometimes she thought that some of his decisions were spurred on by nothing but paranoia. In his head, it was the most practical way to keep her safe, even if it wasn't what she wanted. His vision became clouded and he made choices that they didn't always agree with, but he never went back on them. No matter what.

The sound of the phone buzzing beside her once again pulled her back from her thoughts. She raised an eyebrow at the text from the unknown number, curious. _"Be there in two, get your ass out of bed - Dean."_ She smiled to herself, so relieved that she was finally getting away from those same four white walls she had spent too long staring at. She was getting out of that place, she was getting away from the constant questions and the accusations. She finally felt like she had a little hope.

It was a tense wait for him to show up, and she did nothing but pace around the small room, unable to sit still. A soft tapping on the window behind her made her jump, and she turned sharply to see Dean standing at the other side of the glass, a wide grin on his face as he waved at her. Lacey huffed a laugh and moved to open the window for him to climb through. She closed it again after him and turned around, eyebrows raised. She had spent the majority of her day sitting on the ledge picking at the lock with a pin, praying that she could have it cracked by the time he showed up, or their plan was already tanked.

"Hey, there." he remarked, a smug smirk held on his face, she assumed due to the fact he had gotten in there without being caught. But that was only half of the job, because they still had to get out of there again, and that was going to be the hard part, because she sure as hell didn't have a plan. She assumed that he did.

"Hey, yourself." she said, and she could feel the grin tugging at her own lips. It was hard to hold it back.

"Here." Dean held out a white plastic bag to her. She took it from him with a frown and opened it, curious. She raised her eyebrows as she pulled out a pair of black jeans and her old boots. There was a white vest and a grey hooded jacket in there, too.

"Wait," Lacey glanced up at him. "Where did you get these?"

Dean gave a small chuckle, almost guilty. "I, uh, I went and got your stuff from your apartment after I left this morning." he smiled, a little sheepish. "You know, since you were so dead set on not going back to college. I just grabbed all your stuff and shoved it in a bag, those were the first things I picked out of it all, I didn't know what you'd want." He shrugged. "You can always change in the car if they're wrong."

Lacey shook her head, she couldn't hold the smile off her face. "Nah, you're good." A small frown came to her face, a little accusing. "Does that mean you've been in my underwear drawer? That's a little sick, dude."

Dean rolled his eyes at her. "Oh come on, I didn't look." he countered. "You're lucky, I almost didn't. Then you'd be screwed."

A soft laugh escaped her, and he turned around while she changed, looking out of the window unseeingly. He couldn't believe that his sister had ended up somewhere like that, it didn't seem real, she didn't deserve to be there, she was more than completely sane, he knew that. He had known at the time that sending her away wasn't going to do her any good, it wasn't going to keep her safe or let her have the normal life that their dad seemed to have convinced himself that she wanted. Had he known at the time how it would end, he would have put up more of a fight to keep her with them. But every single argument that he had made about the suggestion had fallen on deaf ears, their father hadn't been interested. He couldn't help but feel responsible.

"Did you disable the alarm?" Lacey asked him curiously, pulling him back from his thoughts.

Dean turned around at the sound of her voice, he hadn't really been listening. "Huh?"

"The alarm." she clarified. She moved to sit down on the edge of the bed as she pulled her boots over her jeans. "Did you disable it?" she spoke slowly, as though he was having trouble understanding her, because in the back of her mind she already knew the answer.

Dean regarded her for a long moment, and the smugness in his face faltered for a fraction of a second, before he scoffed, shaking his head at her. "What do you take me for, huh? Some kind of idiot?"

Lacey huffed a laugh. "You didn't disarm it, did you?" she asked, more of a statement than a question.

"No," Dean replied simply. Honestly, the idea hadn't even occurred to him, and he sincerely regretted it. "I did not."

"Great." Lacey stood up and clapped her hands together. "So, the second we open that door we're gonna have to make a serious break for it. I've seen it happen before, Dean, these nurses aren't as slow as they look."

He smirked down at her, as if he were actually enjoying himself. "It's just like old times, huh?"

Lacey allowed a smile to cross her face, and she nodded. "Never did do things the easy way, did we?"

Dean cocked his head to the side, frowning. "Now, where's the fun in that?" He grinned. "Race ya to the car." he challenged, holding out a fist to her.

Lacey bumped her fist with his and nodded. "You're on."

Dean crossed the room and pulled a lock pick from his jacket pocket, crouching down to work on the lock for a moment before it clicked. The two of them shared a quick glance before he pulled open the door and looked out into the hallway, there was no one around, it was dark, and the only light came from the very end of the corridor where the next door was to the reception area. "Okay," He nodded. "Come on." he whispered, stepping out of the room.

The two of them walked silently down the hallway, and their footsteps echoed off the walls around them. The sight of a nurse walking past the door at the end of the corridor made them both jump, and they stopped dead in their tracks. All she had to do was turn around and they were in plain sight, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide that they wouldn't be spotted. It was a tense moment, neither dared look at the other, and, as if on instinct, they both slowly took a step back. Dean chanced a look behind him, it was a long corridor, they were definitely going to be seen, one way or another. "It's now or never, kid." he whispered, glancing down at her. "Is there a way out down there?"

Lacey thought for a moment, and then she nodded. "Not an easy way out." she said simply. "But it's a way out."

Dean sighed. "_Awesome_." he muttered. "What do we do? Do we make a break for it?"

"Honestly, I don't think we have much of a choice anymore." she said, and there was a tone to her a voice that he didn't like. He followed her eyes to where she was staring at the door, and the nurse on the other side was looking back at her, frantically searching through a large set of keys in her hands.

"Shit." Dean muttered, more to himself than to her. She was right, they definitely had no choice. "Hey, El?"

"Yeah?" she asked, frozen where she was stood.

"_Run_."

Lacey didn't need to be told twice, and they both turned on their heel and broke into a run down the corridor. The sound of the door being opened behind them didn't stop them, they could hear one of the nurses shouting at them, and then screaming at the nurse behind her to sound the alarm. And, sure enough, within a few seconds that was all they could hear blaring around them. Dean followed her up a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, he didn't have a clue where they were going, he didn't have time to ask, all he could do was trust that Lacey knew a way out. She was fast, faster than he remembered her being. He followed as she sprinted down yet another corridor, and it only seemed as though the alarm was becoming louder and louder, they _had_ to get out of there.

Dean followed her around a corner and frowned as she came to a stop outside of a door. She tried the handle desperately but it didn't open. "Dammit." she muttered. He was about to take a step forwards, ready to break it down for her, but she beat him to it. Before he even had the chance to move she brought up her knee and kicked the wooden door open as if it was nothing. The action took him by surprise, and it took him a moment to follow her again. She entered the small, dark room, one that looked like an abandoned bedroom. There was an old bed to the side and a dusty table, it didn't look as though anyone had been in there for years. "Lacey, what are we doing?" he pressed, pulling the door closed behind himself.

"Last time I checked the window was broken." she muttered, looking over it slowly.

"Uh-huh." He nodded. "And, when was the last time you checked?" he asked.

Lacey glanced back at him, clearly struggling to push it open. "Evidently, before they fixed it." She pushed it again, frustrated, and stepped back. "Fuck."

"Move." He muttered, pulling a gun from the back of his jeans. He held it up, ready to break through it, but she grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she pressed, eyes wide. "That's not gonna draw attention to us or anything."

Dean stared at her. "Can you hear that, Lacey?" he asked her, incredulous. "We need to get the hell out of here, _now_. And I'm assuming if you knew another way out you wouldn't have brought us to a second story window." Lacey rolled her eyes at him, she knew he was right. Those places weren't meant for escape, it was only going to be a matter of time before someone found them in there, before the cops showed up, they didn't have another plan. Dean nodded at her and smashed the glass of the window, glancing down at the ground. It was a long drop to the grass below, but they had to risk it. "Alright, I'll go first." he told her, and the urgency came through in his tone. "Don't hesitate, El. I mean it. We need to go."

Lacey nodded and watched as he climbed onto the ledge. He took a short breath and jumped down, landing on the grass with a thud. She watched him for a moment as he pushed himself up to stand with a groan, wiping the dirt from his jeans as he did. He looked up at her and nodded, and she followed his actions. The drop seemed to feel much longer than it was, and she landed on the soft grass the same way that he had done just a moment ago. Before she could even think to process what was happening he grabbed her around the tops of her arms and pulled her up to stand.

The two of them broke into a run across the grass, more than aware that the nurses standing at the window could see them. There was the faint glow of torches somewhere behind them, and that meant there were definitely people out there with them. They were close, but they didn't turn back. Lacey followed Dean's direction to the fence around the garden, and they wasted no time in scaling it and climbing straight over it. They landed on the street together, but he didn't stop as he continued down the road to where the Impala was parked. They all but threw themselves inside and she had barely closed the door before the engine roared to life and Dean took off down the road.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, both of them stunned by their own actions and breathing hard. It was only as Dean made the turning to the highway out of town that she looked up at him again. The whole thing seemed surreal. She was out, they had done it, that place was behind her. And then it seemed to sink into her head, she had just escaped from a psychiatric ward. She was a wanted criminal. She was the number one suspect in three murder cases. She was on the run. _They_ were on the run.

"Well," Dean huffed a laugh and glanced over at her. There was a grin on his face, and he didn't look like he had a care in the world. "I call that a job well done."

Lacey scoffed, shaking her head slowly. "Where are we going?"

"We're getting the hell away from this town. Or state." he muttered. "We'll keep going for a few hours before we stop, get far enough away that they won't catch up." Lacey nodded, he'd clearly planned this out before he had gotten there. He looked over at her, and he could see the worry in her face. "Hey, you're gonna be fine, alright? We just gotta keep our heads down for a couple of months, it'll all die down."

"Yeah." she agreed quietly, her thoughts sounded a million miles away from there. "I'm sorry I crashed you with all of this, you know."

Dean frowned at her, shaking his head. "Hey, don't ever think that I don't want you here, okay? You're the only one I'd want in my passenger seat, you know that. And besides, that was kinda fun. I like having my partner in crime back." he smirked. "It hasn't been the same without you, kiddo."

"Yeah," she laughed. "I can imagine."

Dean smiled to himself. "We'll just drive for a few hours, make it to some run down motel in a town that's probably not even on a map anymore and lay low for a couple days. Then we can find a hunt, or we'll find dad, whatever. We'll be fine." Lacey nodded again. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? I can imagine it's not the easiest place in the world to sleep back there. I'll wake you up when we get there. It's all gonna work out, trust me."

She thought on his words for a long moment, and then she sighed. "I do." she said softly, and she finally allowed a small smile to grace her features. Lacey was home. She was back with her brother where she belonged. And she believed him, things would work out.

Or, at least, she hoped.


	3. What's Going On With You?

_Thank you so much for reading the last chapter. _

_Hope you enjoy this one:-)_

* * *

**The Darkness Within**

**Chapter Three: What's Going On With You?**

Lacey frowned as she stepped out of the bathroom, the sight before her took her by surprise. She had been in the bathroom for less than fifteen minutes, yet Dean had already managed to completely trash their motel room. There were clothes covering one of the beds, pillows tossed to the floor, everything was out of place. It looked as though a bomb had hit it. She remembered a time that Dean had considered her to be the messy one, she couldn't believe how he had managed to turn the room upside down so fast, and she wasn't quite sure why. She wasn't sure she dared to ask. There was such a concentrated frown on his face, it was as though he was determined to do something, she just didn't know what. Slowly, without saying a word, she moved to sit down on the edge of the empty bed, pulling a hand through her wet hair as she did. Dean gave a frustrated sigh as his green eyes once again scanned the length of the motel room, hands on his hips and his stance defeated, and that was when she realised. She recognised the look he wore.

"You're not gonna find it, Dean." she said to him, seemingly uninterested, it was something that she had seen a million times before with him.

"What?" he questioned, not even bothering to look up from where his eyes were fixed to the couch.

"Whatever you're looking for, what you've apparently turned the room upside down to find in the past fifteen minutes. Clearly, it's not in here." He turned to face her and raised his eyebrows as she pushed herself up from the bed and stood to face him. "What have you even lost? Other than your mind, of course."

"My phone." he muttered, frowning to himself. He looked more than confused.

Lacey rolled her eyes at him. "Why don't you just call it then, idiot?"

"Because it's dead, idiot." he retorted, easily matching her sarcastic tone.

Lacey shook her head at him, as though the whole thing did nothing but amuse her. "I'll go check your car." she said simply. "It's probably been in there all along."

For a moment Dean thought she had changed her mind, she stayed where she was, eyes closed with a hard frown on her face. "Lacey?" he pressed, a little concerned. "You alright?" She went to nod, but a sharp gasp of pain left her, and she pressed a hand to her forehead. She swayed a little, and he stepped forwards quickly to steady her. "Hey, hey, are you okay?"

Lacey took a hold of his arm and let out a deep breath, nodding slowly as she opened her eyes again. "Yeah," she nodded a little firmer, and then her attitude seemed to change. She looked up brightly, as though nothing had happened. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy. I'm okay." She took a step away from him, but something stopped her.

"Wait," Dean grabbed her around the wrist before she could fully turn away from him. His eyes studied her for a moment, but she looked nothing but confused. "Your eyes." He frowned. "They're blue."

Lacey just stared at him. "What?"

"Look at them." He pushed her forwards towards the bathroom and stood behind her in front of the large mirror. He reached forwards and wiped away the steam left over from her shower until her reflection was clear to both of them. "Your eyes are bright blue."

"Oh. Yeah." She offered him a small, unconcerned shrug. "They do that sometimes, Dean. It's fine."

Dean frowned at her. "Seriously?" He had never seen that happen to her before. She had always had bright green eyes, the same as him, he had never seen anything different in her before. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah." She shrugged at him, as if she didn't know what he expected her to say. She turned to leave the bathroom, but something seemed to stop her. "Dean." She nodded to the counter in front of the mirror where his phone was, and she looked up to him with a small smile before she brushed past him to the next room.

"Oh." He picked it up and frowned. "I knew it was there." he muttered after her, but she said nothing. That was strange. There was no sarcastic comment, no eye roll, nothing. That wasn't like her. He followed her out of the room and watched as she took a seat in one of the chairs at the small table. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was as though her attitude had completely changed the moment she had gotten dizzy. It crossed his mind that she was in pain, that something was wrong, but he brushed it off. She was probably tired and hungry, lack of sleep and nothing to eat was probably what had caused her dizzy spell. What else could it be? His eyes lingered on her for a long moment, and he got a sense somewhere in the pit of his stomach that there was something just not right, but he didn't dwell on it. Things were fine, they were fine. They had to be. "Hey, listen, I'm gonna head out and get some food, okay? I won't be long."

"Sure." She glanced up at him with a smile, not seeming interested. Dean frowned, for a short moment he barely even recognised the expression on her face, but shook it off, it had to be nothing, and so he left the room.

* * *

_Fifteen minutes later _

Dean opened the door to the motel room and let himself inside, a smile on his face, but the sight before him took him by surprise, and he felt something drop in his stomach. Lacey was stood in the doorway to the bathroom, her forehead rested against the wall. There was the same frown on her face as earlier, yet she looked to be in a lot more pain than before. "Lacey?" He quickly disguarded the food to the table and crossed the room towards her. "Hey," He took a hold of her shoulders and pulled her around to face him. She leaned back against the door frame but she couldn't open her eyes. "Lace? Talk to me, are you okay?"

Lacey took a deep breath, she could hear his voice, but it was a struggle through the ringing in her ears. She could barely feel the grip he held on her shoulders, but she knew that he was standing there. "Dean?" she murmured, but she didn't even hear the word leave her own mouth.

"Hey." For a moment he was sure that she was going to be sick. "Lacey?" he pressed, a little desperate. "Look at me." Slowly, she managed to bring her head up enough to face him as she opened her eyes. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Lacey nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm alright." she muttered, she sounded a little confused. It was nothing like the last time. "I think I just got a little dizzy or something," She shrugged. "I dunno." He noticed that her eyes had returned to the same bright green colour he so easily recognised in her, but he didn't say anything. "I'm fine."

"Alright," He nodded at her, but he didn't release the hold he had on her shoulder. "You need to sit down and eat something, kid. Like, now."

"Yeah," Lacey nodded again. "Good idea." She pulled herself free from his hold and moved towards the table, dropping down slowly into one of the chairs.

Dean looked over her slowly as he followed her lead, grabbing some food from the bag, but she didn't seem to notice. There was something going on with her, and he had a feeling that it was more than just being tired and run down. Something had happened to her. He hadn't asked, he wasn't sure that he wanted to, because he couldn't anticipate what she was going to say. The fact of it was, Lacey was looking at going down for good, she was suspect number one in three murders, and he knew there had to be more to her story than what she had let on to him. Dean had walked into that town expecting to find her in jail, or out on bail, but he had found her in a psychiatric ward. They didn't send people there for fun. And he believed her when she said she hadn't killed anybody, he really did, he had never questioned it. But something more had happened.

Tentatively, he cleared his throat and put down his now half eaten burger. "You know," He looked up at her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Sooner or later, Lacey, we're gonna have to talk about what happened."

Lacey frowned at him, confused. "Huh?"

"Whatever happened to get you locked up where you were." he clarified. "What happened?"

Lacey looked away from him, he could tell just by looking at her that something was wrong. She almost looked afraid. "I don't remember, Dean." she said, so quietly that he barely even heard the words leave her mouth.

That brought a frown to his own face. "What do you mean, you don't remember?" he pressed, confused. "How can you not remember?"

Lacey shook her head. "I don't remember." she said a little firmer. "I don't remember any of it. I don't remember where I was when those people were killed, I remember being arrested, but then I don't remember what happened after that. Next thing I knew, I was on my way to psych."

"Huh." Dean studied her, now he was sure, something _was_ going on with her. He believed her when she said that she couldn't remember, but that wasn't normal. Why couldn't she remember? What was going on?

"Anyway," Lacey said, a little brighter, and he just knew that she was about to change the subject. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Really?" Dean pressed. "You're gonna drop a bomb like that and then change the subject?" Lacey shrugged, nonchalant, and Dean sighed, giving in. Maybe it wasn't the best time to talk about it. They were both exhausted, and so he gave in. "Uh, well, after you left, Dad and I carried on hunting, pretty much the same deal as when you were around but, you know, less fun." he said playfully. "Then, couple of months ago, Caleb called, said that there was something pretty big going down in Michigan, needed backup, so Dad skipped."

Lacey frowned. "And he left you?"

Dean nodded, shoving a few fries into his mouth. "Said he wanted me to finish up the hunt we were taking and then head out and find myself another one. So I did. I was just finishing up a Skinwalker thing when your college showed up on the news. I looked into it, found out that you'd been arrested, and then I came to see you."

"Huh." Lacey thought over his words for a moment, nodding. "Well, I'm glad that you did."

Dean nodded. Truthfully, so was he. He hadn't known what to expect when he had arrived in that town, but he wasn't sure he could have anticipated the two of them sitting in a motel and eating a take out together. It was all he had wanted since the day she had left, not to be stuck on his own all the time, to have his sister back in his life, the girl who was more of a friend to him than anything else. He was more than grateful that she was there. "So," he began, a little wary of the conversation he was about to start up. "Don't think that I'm pushing you here or anything, because I'm not, but what do you plan on doing now?" She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, not appearing to be following him. "I mean, if you wanted to go back to college—"

"Which I don't." She stopped him before he could say more.

"But if you did," Dean continued, as though she hadn't interrupted in the first place. "Then you know we could probably fix something for you. We could, I don't know, find you another college, some place they don't watch the news." He shrugged. "Just, think about it."

Lacey sighed, shaking her head. There was nothing to think about. In her mind, there was only one thing that she wanted to do with her life, and it sure as hell wasn't what she had been doing the past couple of years. "I wanna hunt, Dean." she told him. "It's all I've ever wanted to do. You know that."

Dean sighed, regarding her for a long moment, and sighed in defeat. He did know that, he had always known that, and, he had a feeling, so did their father. He had simply brainwashed himself into thinking otherwise out of his own repressed guilt about his fight with Sam. It wasn't until Sam had left that the idea of Lacey going to college even crossed his mind. After that, his mind appeared made up. And Dean had never, ever, agreed with the choice he had made that day.

"Alright then," Dean grinned at her. "You and me, back on the road. Just like old times."


End file.
